7.11.2011

Thanks to a friend talking about a lovely summer evening dinner, I dusted off Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day. I love discovering ways to eat things I love, that fit within my family's tastes. It can be very rare, especially with fennel. This was a great dinner on the side of pan roasted chicken.

I highly recommend this recipe. I am always grateful when I get to use my mandolin :-)

7.10.2011

A trip to Carver Orchards proved to be fruitful. I was allowed to pick the flowers off the zucchini plants, which is rare...since ultimately each flower is an unrealized zucchini. This is what makes them so wonderful. I got hooked on these circa June 2007 in a little vegetarian restaurant in San Lorenzo neighbourhood of Rome, Arancia Blu. We didn't realize from the review that brought us there that it was a vegetarian restaurant (since we generally like to have a broader choice of proteins), but for some reason it remains one of the more memorable in Rome.

Mix all the ingredients (except the pancetta) together until smooth. Place a slice of pancetta onto a greased waffle iron, and ladle the batter on top. Close the waffle iron and cook until golden brown.

Clean the mussels, keep only the closed ones. In a large stock pot, melt butter on medium heat. Add crushed garlic cloves. After about 30 seconds, add in the tomatoes and lemon (if you want a sweeter broth, remove the lemon skin), both cut into wedges. Cook for a minute or so, while stirring. Add in the beer and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.
Turn heat to high. Allow the broth to start to bubble. Throw in all your mussels (I am itching to add a pun here, but I won't). Close with lid and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a serving bowl. Serve immediately with a grilled crostini.

I've seen this combination recommended frequently, but honestly didn't expect to like it. It was an experiment as usual. Surprisingly, it was awesome. Very light, refreshing and a good balance of sweet and savory.

Marinate, sliced half circles of onion in vinegar with some salt to taste for 5 hours (this can be done overnight). Drain off the vinegar, lay onions on paper towels to dry.

In a pan, caramelize the onions in olive oil until golden. Add in pealed, cored apple slices about 1/2 inch in size. Roast on medium heat until the apples are just beginning to soften. Remove from heat, add apple sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Season the steaks and split the filling among them. Add a sprig of lemon thyme and about 1oz of goat cheese to each. Roll the veal around the stuffing and secure with bamboo skewers. Spray with olive oil and carefully place on a hot grill. Flip after 2-3 minutes. Continue for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove from heat. Serve with balsamic reduction.